Detectives booked a Manhattan man on Thursday morning for hurling a hateful slur and violently assaulting a woman on board an E train in Forest Hills last month.
Allasheed Allah, 54, was taken into custody at the 112th Precinct stationhouse on Dec. 13; he faces counts of assault and aggravated harassment, both of which were classified as hate crimes.
Sources familiar with the investigation said that an anonymous tipster, who knows the suspect, recognized Allah’s image from media coverage and informed police of his location. Members of the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force located Allah on Thursday morning and brought him to the 112th Precinct for further questioning and ultimately his arrest.
Police said Allah confronted the 20-year-old woman on board a Manhattan-bound E train approaching the 71-Continental Avenues station at 5:10 p.m. on Nov. 30.
Law enforcement sources said the two got into an argument, during which Allah uttered an anti-gay slur at the woman, who was riding the subway with a female friend. Police said his language was “based upon his interpretation of the victim’s sexual orientation.”
Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown stated that Allah later admitted to telling her “not to kiss her again in front of me because she was disrespecting me with all that gay (expletive) she been doing.” The suspect went on to tell detectives, “I stood up and told her kiss her again you d–e (expletive) and watch what happens.”
Seconds later, the victim got up and walked away. Authorities said Allah followed her from behind, the punched her in the back of the head and shoved her to the floor of the car; her head struck the floor hard, contributing to her injuries.
Allah then departed the train after it stopped at 71-Continental Avenues; he exited from the station on foot and fled in an unknown direction.
Officers from the 112th Precinct, the NYPD Transit Bureau District 20 and EMS units responded to the scene. Paramedics brought the victim to Elmhurst Hospital, where she was treated for a fractured spine.
NYPD Chief of Detectives Dermot Shea took to Twitter to congratulate cops on cracking the case.
The Hate Crimes Task Force @NYPDHateCrimes has just arrested Allah Allahseed, wanted for an anti-sexual-orientation-motivated assault on a female couple on 11-30-18 on a Queens subway. Once again, NYC has made it clear: we have #NoPlaceForHate pic.twitter.com/QKD60AwiaX
— Chief Dermot F. Shea (@NYPDDetectives) December 13, 2018
Brown said that Allah is currently being held pending arraignment in Queens Criminal Court. The suspect faces up to 15 years behind bars if convicted.
“Queens County is the most diverse county in the nation. It is home to many races, nationalities and sexual orientations. Crimes motivated by bias — particularly those involving violence — will never be tolerated in this county,” Brown said in a statement on Thursday. “When they do regrettably occur, they will be vigorously prosecuted and those involved will be severely punished.”
This story was updated on Dec. 13 at 4:20 p.m.
